Many Christian couples choose to incorporate bible readings into their wedding ceremony as a representation of their religious beliefs.
Thankfully, the bible is awash with scriptures that beautifully depict the joys of love and marriage
In this post, you’ll find 91 unique bible verses that could be used as wedding readings for your Christian wedding.
Quick guide: all 93 readings by speaking time. Tap a column heading to sort.
Bible Wedding Readings From The Old Testament
Song of Solomon 6:3
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.
My beloved speaks and says to me: Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
Psalm 92:12-15
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow.
Song of Solomon 4:10
How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride! How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!
Psalm 24:8-10
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Song of Songs 8:7
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Proverbs 5:19
A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be intoxicated with her love.
Proverbs 30:18-19
There are three things that amaze me - no, four things that I don’t understand: how an eagle glides through the sky, how a snake slithers on a rock, how a ship navigates the ocean, how a man loves a woman.
Isaiah 62:4-5
People will not call you Deserted anymore. They will no longer name your land Empty. Instead, you will be called One the Lord Delights In.
Your land will be named Married One. That’s because the Lord will take delight in you. And your land will be married.
As a young man marries a young woman, so your Builder will marry you. As a groom is happy with his bride, so your God will be full of joy over you.
Ecclesiastes 4:12
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Song of Songs 1:9-17
I have compared thee, O my love, to a company of horses in Pharaoh’s chariots.
Thy cheeks are comely with rows of jewels, thy neck with chains of gold.
We will make thee borders of gold with studs of silver.
While the king sitteth at his table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof.
A bundle of myrrh is my well-beloved unto me; he shall lie all night betwixt my breasts.
My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi.
Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes.
Behold, thou art fair, my beloved, yea, pleasant: also our bed is green.
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.
Genesis 24:64
So she became his wife, and he loved her.
Proverbs 5:18
May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!
Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one.
Song of Songs 2:8-15
The voice of my beloved!
Look! He’s coming,
leaping over the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
Look, there he stands behind our wall,
looking through the windows,
gazing through the lattice.
My beloved spoke to me:
Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come on.
Look! Winter is past.
The rain is over and gone.
Blossoms have appeared in the land.
The season of songbirds has arrived,
and cooing of turtledoves is heard in our land.
The fig tree has produced its fruit,
the grapevines have blossomed and exude their fragrance.
Get up, my darling, my beautiful one, and come on.
My dove, in the hidden places of the rocks,
in the secret places of the cliffs,
show me your form, and let me hear your voice.
For your voice is pleasant,
and your shape is lovely.
Catch the foxes for us,
the little foxes that destroy the vineyards,
our vineyards that are in bloom.
Psalms 126:3
The Lord has done great things for us; we are glad.
Genesis 1:27-28
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them.
And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.
Proverbs 20:6-7
Many claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful person who can find? The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.
Proverbs 17:17
“A friend loves at all times.”
Proverbs 18:22
He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from thee.
Deuteronomy: 24:5
If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.
Ruth 1:16
But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.
Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their for if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls sand has not another to lift him up!
Hosea 2:16-23
A new day is coming,” announces the Lord. Israel will call me ‘my husband.’
She will no longer call me ‘my master.’ She will no longer speak about the gods that are named Baal. She will not pray to them for help anymore.
At that time I will make a covenant for the good of my people. I will make it with the wild animals and the birds in the sky.
It will also be made with the creatures that move along the ground. I will remove bows and swords and other weapons of war from the land. Then my people can lie down in safety.
I will make Israel my own. She will belong to me forever. I will do to her what is right and fair. I will love her tenderly. I will be faithful to her. And she will recognize me as the Lord.
“So at that time I will answer her,” announces the Lord. “I will command the skies to send rain on the earth. Then the earth will produce grain, olive oil and fresh wine.
And Israel will be called Jezreel. That’s because I will answer her prayers. I will plant her in the land for myself. I will show my love to the one I called Not My Loved One.
I will say, ‘You are my people’ to those who were called Not My People. And they will say, ‘You are my God.
Song of Songs 8:7
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Song of Solomon 2:16
Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away. Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot sweep it away. If one were to give all the wealth of one’s house for love, it would be utterly scorned.
Proverbs 31:10
Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
Song of Solomon 3:4
Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother’s house, to the room of the one who conceived me.
Genesis 24:64
So she became his wife, and he loved her.
Genesis 2:18
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.
Proverbs 31: 11-12
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
Proverbs 3:3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Esther 4:14
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?
Genesis 2:22
Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
Place me like a seal over your heart, like a seal on your arm. For love is as strong as death, its jealousy as enduring as the grave. It burns like blazing fire, like a mighty flame.
Genesis 2:23
The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Bible Wedding Readings From The New Testament
John 4:7-12
Beloved, let us love one another,
because love is of God;
everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love.
Romans 12:9-10
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 1Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
John 15:9
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
Ephesians 4:1-3
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Galatians 5:13
Through love serve one another.
John 15:10-11
If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Romans 12:10
Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one another.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.
1 Corinthians 13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
1 Corinthians 7:4
The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife.
1 Corinthians 7:5
Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer.
Ephesians 4:3
Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
1 Peter 3:7
Husbands, in the same way, be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
John 15:17
This is my command: Love each other.
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 16:14
“Let all that you do be done in love”
1 Peter 4:8
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.”
John 15:12
My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
1 Corinthians 7:3
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
Mark 10:9
What therefore God has joined together, let not man.
Philippians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
1 Corinthians 13:3
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
I John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
1 John 4:11
Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Romans 5:8
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Mark 12:30
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.
Mark 12:31
The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’There is no commandment greater than these.
John 3:29
The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.
Romans 13:10
Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
1 Corinthians 7:3
The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.
Ephesians 5:1-2
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts always hopes, and always perseveres.
Colossians 3:12-14
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Romans 12:9-16
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love.
Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
John 15:9-17
As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Romans 12:9-18
Love must be sincere. Look away from what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need.
Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
The Passages Couples Come Back To Most
Ninety-one verses is a lot to sort through. If you want a shortlist, these are the passages that show up again and again in wedding ceremonies, and several of them appear more than once on this page in different verse ranges.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. The "love is patient, love is kind" passage. It is among the most familiar wedding readings, and it works for almost any congregation.
- Genesis 2:18-24. The creation of the first couple. A traditional opening reading, and common in Catholic and Anglican weddings.
- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. "Two are better than one." Short, practical and good for couples who want something warm without a long text.
- Ruth 1:16-17. "Whither thou goest, I will go." A promise of loyalty that many couples read as a vow in its own right.
- Song of Songs 8:6-7. The most poetic of the options: "love is strong as death."
- Colossians 3:12-17. A practical list of how to treat each other: kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness.
- John 15:9-12. Remain in my love, and love one another. A gentle fit for a Gospel reading.
- 1 John 4:7-12. Love comes from God. Short enough to pair with a longer reading.
Pick The Translation On Purpose
The same verse can sound very different depending on the Bible you read from. That matters when someone is reading it aloud in front of your family.
The King James Version (1611) is the oldest of the common choices and its wording is the one many guests will remember. It also uses the old word "charity" where modern Bibles say "love", so 1 Corinthians 13:4 opens "Charity suffereth long, and is kind" instead of "Love is patient, love is kind." Both are the same verse. Pick the one that sounds like your ceremony.
Modern translations such as the NIV, ESV and NRSV read more plainly and are easier for a nervous reader. If you marry in a Catholic church in the United States, the readings come from the lectionary, which is based on the New American Bible, so you will use that wording whatever you prefer. Ask your minister or priest which translation they expect and print it exactly as it should be read.
Two examples in the King James wording, which is in the public domain, if you want the traditional sound.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (King James Version)
Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.
Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
Ruth 1:16-17 (King James Version)
Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
How Long Each Bible Reading Takes
We counted the words in every passage on this page and worked out a speaking time at 130 words a minute. A single verse takes seconds. A passage like 1 Corinthians 13 takes about a minute. Slow down when you read scripture aloud, so add a little time to anything you plan. Across 91 readings, the shortest is Galatians 5:13 at about 5 sec and the longest is Hosea 2:16-23 at about 1 min 50 sec.
Under 20 sec (73): Galatians 5:13 (5 sec); Proverbs 17:17 (5 sec); 1 John 4:19 (5 sec); John 15:17 (5 sec); Ecclesiastes 4:12 (5 sec); Genesis 24:64 (5 sec); Genesis 24:64 (5 sec); 1 Corinthians 16:14 (5 sec); Mark 10:9 (5 sec); Philippians 1:3 (5 sec); Psalms 126:3 (5 sec); Luke 6:31 (5 sec); Romans 12:10 (5 sec); 1 John 4:8 (5 sec); John 15:12 (5 sec); Romans 12:10 (5 sec); Proverbs 31:10 (5 sec); Ephesians 4:2 (5 sec); Romans 12:9 (5 sec); Proverbs 18:22 (5 sec); 1 Peter 4:8 (5 sec); 1 John 4:11 (5 sec); Proverbs 5:18 (5 sec); Psalm 37:4 (5 sec); Ephesians 4:3 (5 sec); Romans 13:10 (5 sec); 1 Chronicles 16:34 (5 sec); John 15:9 (5 sec); Ephesians 5:25 (5 sec); Colossians 3:14 (5 sec); 1 Corinthians 13:13 (5 sec); Mark 12:31 (5 sec); 1 John 3:18 (5 sec); 1 Corinthians 7:3 (10 sec); Romans 5:8 (10 sec); 1 Corinthians 7:3 (10 sec); Proverbs 5:19 (10 sec); Proverbs 3:3 (10 sec); Genesis 2:24 (10 sec); Romans 13:8 (10 sec); Genesis 2:18 (10 sec); 1 Corinthians 7:5 (10 sec); 1 John 4:7 (10 sec); Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (10 sec); Jeremiah 31:3 (10 sec); Proverbs 20:6-7 (10 sec); Proverbs 31: 11-12 (10 sec); Genesis 2:22 (10 sec); John 3:16 (10 sec); Mark 12:30 (10 sec); Romans 12:9-10 (10 sec); 1 Corinthians 13:1 (10 sec); Song of Solomon 4:10 (10 sec); Jeremiah 29:11 (10 sec); Song of Songs 8:7 (10 sec); Song of Songs 8:7 (10 sec); Genesis 2:23 (10 sec); I John 4:16 (10 sec); 1 John 4:18 (15 sec); Micah 6:8 (15 sec); John 4:7-12 (15 sec); 1 Corinthians 13:3 (15 sec); Ephesians 5:1-2 (15 sec); 1 Corinthians 7:4 (15 sec); Song of Solomon 8:6-7 (15 sec); John 3:29 (15 sec); Song of Solomon 2:16 (20 sec); Proverbs 30:18-19 (20 sec); Ruth 1:16 (20 sec); Song of Solomon 3:4 (20 sec); 1 Peter 3:7 (20 sec); Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (20 sec); Deuteronomy: 24:5 (20 sec).
20 sec to 45 sec (13): John 15:10-11 (20 sec); Esther 4:14 (20 sec); Ephesians 4:1-3 (25 sec); Psalm 24:8-10 (25 sec); Colossians 3:12-14 (25 sec); Colossians 3:12-14 (25 sec); 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 (25 sec); 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (25 sec); Song of Solomon 6:3 (30 sec); Psalm 92:12-15 (30 sec); Genesis 1:27-28 (30 sec); Isaiah 62:4-5 (35 sec); Romans 12:9-16 (40 sec).
45 sec to 1 min 30 sec (4): Song of Songs 1:9-17 (1 min); Romans 12:9-18 (1 min 5 sec); Song of Songs 2:8-15 (1 min 15 sec); John 15:9-17 (1 min 30 sec).
1 min 30 sec to 3 min (1): Hosea 2:16-23 (1 min 50 sec).
How To Build A Sequence Of Readings
Two or three readings is usually enough. Give each one a different job.
- The opening. A reading about creation or companionship, such as Genesis 2:18-24 or Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
- The middle. A reading about what love looks like day to day, such as 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 or Colossians 3:12-17.
- The closing. A reading that blesses the couple, such as John 15:9-12 or Song of Songs 8:6-7.
Give the longest passage to your most confident reader, and the shortest verse to someone who is nervous. If you want a reading without scripture alongside them, our guide to short wedding readings mixes the two.
Bible Wedding Reading Questions
How many Bible readings should a wedding have?
Most Protestant and non-denominational ceremonies have one or two. A Catholic wedding usually has a first reading, a psalm, a second reading and a Gospel. Your minister or priest will tell you what the service needs.
Who reads the Bible passages at a wedding?
Usually a family member or close friend, chosen by the couple. Pick someone who is comfortable reading aloud, give them the exact text and translation, and ask them to rehearse with the microphone before the ceremony.
Is the Song of Songs appropriate for a wedding?
Yes. It is a poem about love between two people, and Song of Songs 8:6-7 is among the most requested readings. Some of the other chapters are more sensual than a church ceremony needs, so read ahead and choose the verses on purpose.
Can we use a Bible verse if we are not religious?
Many couples do, because the language is beautiful and familiar. Choose a passage about love rather than one that talks about God, and say where it comes from. If you prefer to skip scripture entirely, see our non-religious wedding readings.
Final Thoughts
Have fun picking from any of the 91 readings listed above. For further guidance, you can discuss the reading you choose with your wedding’s officiating minister.
Have a wonderful wedding ceremony.